Prunus salicina. 
xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99.
This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new variety of plum, Prunus salicina cv. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99. The new variety was first hybridized by Bruce D. Mowery. The new variety xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 was selected and evaluated by David W. Cain near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. The variety was originated by open pollination of an unnamed, unpatented Sun World international breeding plum selection, designated as 91P-001. The new variety is characterized by its early ripening fruit, which ripens evenly and has a mildly sweet taste. The fruit is not prone to fruit drop and has good keeping quality for the fresh market.
xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 has as its seed parent an unnamed, unpatented plum variety designated as 91P-001. The new plum variety cv. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 arose from an open pollination of the seed parent and thus the pollen parent is an unknown plum variety. The parent varieties were first crossed in 1993, with the date of sowing of November 1993 and first flowering being in 1996. The new xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 variety was first asexually propagated by David W. Cain in May 1998, near Wasco, Kern County, Calif., by budding.
xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 differs from its seed parent, 91P-001, by producing fruits that are slightly larger than its parent, averaging 6.2 cm diameter while 91P-001 averages 5.5 cm diameter. Fruits of the new variety cv. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 have red-colored flesh, while the flesh of 91P-001 is yellow. Moreover, xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 ripens approximately four days after its seed parent 91P-001. The new variety xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 closely resembles its sibling xe2x80x98Suplumtwentytwo,xe2x80x99 but ripens approximately fourteen days after xe2x80x98Suplumtwentytwoxe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 most nearly resembles the interspecific tree xe2x80x98Flavorosaxe2x80x99 variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,285). It is distinguished from the xe2x80x98Flavorosaxe2x80x99 variety by possessing more rounded elliptic leaves with less pronounced pointed lanceolate apices. The new variety is further differentiated from xe2x80x98Flavorosaxe2x80x99 by not being an interspecific hybrid with Prunus armeniaca parentage. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 fruits have flesh that tends to be lighter red near the pit cavity when commercially ripe as compared to the darker red coloration near the pit cavity in the xe2x80x98Flavorosa varietyxe2x80x99. Additionally, the fruits of the new variety are able to hold more tenaciously to the tree, resulting in fruit that is less prone to fruit drop as the fruit approach maturity, in contrast to the xe2x80x98Flavorosaxe2x80x99 variety. Fruits of the new variety ripen approximately fourteen days after xe2x80x98Flavorosaxe2x80x99.
The flesh of xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 fruit is red, in contrast to the yellow flesh of the xe2x80x98Black Beautxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,617, expired) variety, and ripens approximately 5 days before xe2x80x98Black Beautxe2x80x99. The new plum variety cv. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 ripens approximately 14 days after the xe2x80x98Red Beautxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,539, expired) variety.
The new plum variety cv. xe2x80x98Suplumtwentythreexe2x80x99 has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, budding.